Ukrainian forces launched a missile strike deep within Russia, hitting a significant military plant overnight, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The attack, carried out with FP‑5 Flamingo cruise missiles, targeted a drone and missile plant in the city of Cheboksary, the Chuvash Republic, more than 900 km (560 miles) from the front line.
Local officials in Cheboksary reported three injuries from the strike, though no confirmation of damage to the military plant was provided. The Chebash Republic head, Oleg Nikolaev, acknowledged the attack and its casualties but remained vague on the plant's status.
Alongside the Cheboksary hit, Ukraine also claimed strikes on the Moscow‑occupied port of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov, a Russian oil refinery in Samara, and a “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Black Sea.
In recent months, Ukraine’s military has intensified drone and missile attacks on key Russian facilities, citing energy sites as legitimate targets to hinder Moscow’s war effort. Nonetheless, deep‑inside Russia missile attacks have been rare.
Russian air defence units reported intercepting or shooting down 326 Ukrainian drones across several regions overnight. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said it downed 181 of 207 drones fired by Russia, with 21 direct hits affecting 14 locations. Local officials in four Ukrainian regions reported at least two deaths and 26 injured, including two children, in the past 24 hours.
President Zelensky published footage purportedly showing the missile, a plume of smoke, and the damaged facility, while Ukrainian military confirmed a fire at the VNIIR‑Progress plant. The FP‑5 Flamingo missile carries a 1,150 kg warhead and has a reported range of 3,000 km, enabling strikes on Moscow and other major cities.
With Western allies, Ukraine continues developing missiles to increase the cost of Russia’s invasion and push Moscow toward negotiation, though Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unwilling to meet Zelensky. Putin also claimed Russian troops are advancing throughout the front line, despite evidence of stagnation on the western front.
